Under Fire
by estheralex16
Summary: Tim finds Jason on a rooftop in his territory. He has something to say that Jason needs to hear. Sorry for not updating in awhile I've sort of moved over to A03 and forgot this was on here. I'll try to remember but if you want faster updates you might want to check out the other site. Same user name
1. Chapter 1

Jason's hand went to his gun when he felt another presence on the rooftop with him. He turned as he drew his sidearm and pointed it at the Bat-sized shadow behind him, but it wasn't Batman who emerged from the darkness.

"What are you doing here, Replacement? I don't think Daddy Bat would like it very much." Jason still kept the gun trained on Tim's chest. He didn't know why the Pretender was here and he knew with all the armour the Bats wore, his shot wouldn't kill the bird but it would hurt like a motherfucker.

"What Batman doesn't know can't hurt him." Red Robin kept his hands away from his sides, showing Jason that they were empty and he was not going for any weapons, but he didn't go so far as to raise them, like Dicky-bird would have done, he was there to talk then. Jason lowered his gun but didn't holster it. He might still need to shoot his replacement, he'd have to see what he'd come to say first.

"Well, I'm waiting. What are you doing here?"

"You know I don't know why you feel the need to point your gun at us every time one of us comes around. It's not like we're going to arrest you or anything."

"I am breaking the law."

"Yes, but technically, so are we. So if we're not going to turn ourselves in, we can't exactly do anything about you."

"I'm not exactly following Daddy Bat's rules, now, am I?"

"Yes, but you aren't really like the rest of us anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well it's just... you really don't see it do you?"

"Get to the point, Replacement, I don't have all night."

Tim's hands went up to his face and he rubbed his eyes under his mask. He muttered something that Jason wasn't sure he quite heard, but it could have been 'I thought it was obvious.'

"Red, you know I was watching Batman and Robin when it was still Nightwing in the costume. So you know I noticed when it was you in the suit. I saw the difference. You're fighting style is more street thug than acrobat."

"I know I'm not Golden Boy, you don't need to tell me." Jason's voice was lower than it normally was and his gun hand twitched a bit.

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?!" Jason was seriously considering bringing the gun back up.

"I mean that, well,"—Tim took a deep breath—"Batman and I were born with a silver spoon in our mouths. Nightwing isn't really from around here. You're the only one who really grew up here. You know what it's like to truly live in Gotham. You lived in this area for most of your life. You know what it needs. Batman takes care of the major baddies, you take care of the rest. Batman doesn't kill, not because he finds it difficult, but because he would find it too easy. You, Jason, are different. You don't kill because it's easy, you kill because it's the way Gotham works. You know you can't get rid of crime entirely but you came in and took control of it and in order to do that, the crime bosses had to be afraid of you, and they aren't afraid of prison. You had to find another way to scare them, and you did. You found a way to control this crazy city and it's a better place because of it." Jason could hardly believe it. Here was the boy he had nearly killed when he first came back to Gotham telling him he was doing a good job.

"I don't think Batman would agree with you."

"I'm not Batman."

"Why did you come here tonight, Tim?"

"To let you know not everyone in the family is against you. It's because of you that I even thought I had a chance at becoming Robin, and I thought you should know that. If you ever need help, let me know." And with that, Red Robin shot off a grappling line and jumped off the rooftop. Jason couldn't believe what he had just heard and it was a long time before he felt like he could move again. It took a scream from a few alleys over to get him to holster his gun and jump of the roof into the Gotham night.

It took a week, an unexpected visit from Alfred while he was out of his apartment, and the culture section of the Gotham Gazette (which Jason would have never seen if the butler hadn't left it on his counter a long with the cookies he had brought) for Jason to realize that Tim may have had another reason for finding him on that rooftop.


	2. Chapter 2

A few days later, Tim was sitting in his office staring at his intercom trying to decide if he really wanted to do this. Once Tam made the phone call there was no turning back. He shook himself, realized he was being silly, and pressed the com button.

"Hey Tam, can you call Vickie Vale? Tell her Tim Drake-Wayne has a secret he feels the need to share with the world and thought she would like to write the article."

Tim was smiling when he let go of the button. That should get reporter here in under half an hour. Vickie was convinced that Tim was Red Robin, and she wasn't wrong: it's just that's not the secret Tim was planning on telling the reporter.

Tim was finishing up some paperwork when Tam's voice came over the intercom. "Vickie Vale is here. Should I send her in?"

"Yes, send her in." Tim closed the folder he was working on and looked up just as Tam opened the door to let the reporter into his office.

"Hello Miss Vale, please sit down. Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea?" Tim asked as he came out from behind his desk. Smiling, he led Vickie Vale to chairs he had in his office for meetings and interviews. "A coffee would be lovely, thanks." Tim motioned to Tam and she left quietly to fulfill the reporter's request.

"So Miss Vale, anything interesting happening in the news world?"

"Oh nothing major. If nothing else happens this week you might even make the front page." Tim knew that wouldn't happen. A war was about to break out in the Middle East and that would make the front page over what he was about to say. Especially because he was not going to say what Vickie thought she was there to hear.

Tam came in with Vickie's coffee and then closed the door behind her as she left the office.

"So should we get started?" Tim nodded and gestured for Vickie to begin.

"What made you want to come out to the world now?" Tim laughed, he couldn't help it; the reporter's word choice was just too perfect.

"What? Did I say something funny?"

"Oh nothing, it's just that your word choice is fitting."

"My word choice?"

"Yes, I called you here today because I felt it was time for the world to know." Tim paused to take a deep breath before continuing. "I'm gay."


	3. Chapter 3

Jason stood in the middle of his kitchen, one of Alfred's cookies hanging out of his mouth, staring at the headline. TIM WAYNE COMES OUT! Get the whole story on page 6. Jason nearly tore the newspaper trying to find the page. There it was in black and white, what Tim should have told Jason in person that night on the roof.

If this writer was surprised to get the call from Tim Wayne's secretary on Monday morning, she was even more surprised to hear what Mr. Wayne had to say. I walked into Mr. Wayne's office soon after I got the call to find him sitting behind his desk, dressed in an immaculate suit, as always. When I walked in he got up and offered me coffee before we started the interview, always the good host. Once we had our coffee and had taken a seat on the couch in his office, we started the interview.

I started out by asking why Mr. Wayne chose now to come out. I meant with his secret, whatever that was, but my question made the young man laugh, and when I asked what was so funny, I was surprised by the answer. "Your word choice is fitting, I'm gay." I must admit, dear reader, that was not what I expected to be writing about in this article and it took me a second to think of another question.

"What made you decide to tell the world?"

"Well I've told my family and friends already..."

He didn't tell me. Jason was shocked, where had that thought come from? He had not right to be put out that Tim didn't feel the need to tell him. He'd pointed a gun at the boy the last time he'd seen him for God's sake. Maybe after they talked, Jason thought they were at least friends, but that didn't mean Tim had to tell him he was gay. I mean he did seek him out to tell Jason he didn't think he was a bad person, but that didn't mean anything.

Jason read the rest of the article in a bit of a haze, nothing really jumping out at him until "I'm a coward." That brought him up short. Tim was many things but a coward was not one of them. Jason went back to find out why Tim would say something so ridiculous.

"Is there anyone special in your life at the moment?"

"Not at the moment, no."

"Why not? A good looking young man like you, I'd think it would be easy to find a date?"

"I'm a coward."

When I tried to get Mr. Wayne to elaborate on what he meant he never really gave a straight answer and the interview quickly wrapped up shortly after.

Jason felt like he had been hit in the head by a baseball bat. It couldn't be. Was that why Tim had come to talk to him that night? He had thought the conversation was a little bit weird, but it couldn't be. Jason had to find Tim and get answers. He didn't want to get his hopes up by jumping to conclusions; he had to find the little bird.


End file.
